Clothes-pressing machine.



G. W. SANBORN.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l h w WM I 1 l MR P. GA D E mun Err R .N 0 I M H i H P A WITNESSES .5 5 a xix A TTORNEY.

G. W. SANBORN.

CLOTHES PRESSING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.1, 1913.

1,169,873. Patented Feb, 1, 1916.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2. 63

I V17 l V 1819 ES G. W. SANBORN.

CLOTHES PRESSING MACHINE. APPLlCATlON FILED APR. I, i913.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- ings,

GLOTHES-PRESSING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .GEORGE W. SANBQRN, ofUtica, in the county of. Oneida, in the State of New York, have, invented new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Pressing Machines, of which thefollowing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawis a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements 'in machines for cleaning, sponging and pressing garments and-other fabrics by direct pressure as distinguished from ironing machinesand similar apparatus employing sad irons or equivalent polishing or smoothing device for rubbing contact with the fabric.

The mainobject is to increase the range of usefulness of'this class 'of machines according to the nature or quality of the Workoperated upon so that the same 'machine may be used not only for cleaning, sterilizing, pressing and restoring the nap of various kinds of outer garments, but also for sponging,

steaming and smoothing Whole cloth, knit underwear and similar fabrics with or Without pressing according'to the nature of the material or requirements for different materials.

I am aware that various forms of machines have been proposed and put into use for applying steam to the upper surface of the garment while the latteris subjected to mechanical pressure through the medium of aivertically movable press head having a foraminous bottom plate through which the steam is allowed to pass and thereby to soften and restore the nap and to expedite the drying of the garment by the rapidity o evaporation of the steam and without leav ing excessive moisture 'of condensation in the garment, but I have discovered that practically the same results may be accomplished by a proper distribution of the steam in a steam-receiving buck having a foraminous cover or press plate coacting with an imperforate or non-foraminous pressplate of a superposed press head manipulated in substantially the same manner as the usual foraminouspress head except that the steam is applied to the under surface of the garment or cloth simultaneously with the application of mechanical pressure by the imperforate press head, whereby the steam is held .back

from passage through the fabric leaving just sufficient moisture in such fabric .to soften 'the nap and allowing the excess water of TES GEORGE w. sensory, OF UTICA,

Specification '0f Letters Patent.

entire surface areashowing a portion of NEW YORK.

condensation to fall by itsown gravity back Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Application filed April 1, 191.3. sum No. 758,229.

into the steam chamber of the buckfrom which it drains off through a suitable drainage pipe, thus preventing the application of excess molsture to thefabric.

Another object is to construct the inside of the press plate of the buck in such man. ner as to condense and throw back any excess moisture which may be carried into the buck by the steam, thereby obviating the necessity for steam deflectors or extra steamdistributing plates.

A further object is to neutralize the force of the steam pressure upon its entrance into the pressing element by delivering such steam into opposed pipes within the buck and providing the adjacent faces of such pipes with orifices facing each other so that the steam jets from one pipe willbe impinged against those emerging from the other pipe.

A still further object is to provide one end of the-buck with, a gripping'device for holding the garment as, for example, trousers or skirts while being stretched out upon the surface of such buck; preparatory tosteaming, sponging or pressing.

Another object is to equip the machine with a vacuum cleaner connected to the same pipe which supplies steam to the pressing elements/and having a suction nozzle adapted to be moved by the user over the of the buck for removing dust and other foreign matter therefrom.

' Other objects-and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the'drawings-Figure 1 is a perspe'c f tive view of the entire cleaning and pressing the steam generator.

apparatus including of the same apparatus Fig. 2 is a top plan exclusive ofthe boiler and vacuum cleaner 7 one of the bearings for the movable head in section, said head being shown approximately in its pressing poslis a transverse vertical secthe upper portion of the machine taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig.' 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the pressing elements taken on line 4-4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan of the detached'pressing plate for the'buck, showing the alternating ribs and channels and also the perforations therein. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical through .the shoulder buck taken on line 66, Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a. longitudinal vertition.m Fig. 3 tional' view through sectional view understood, I have shown a main supporting frame f as provided with a table top '2 and an upstanding bracket {-3- upon which is mounted a hollow buck 4, said frame being also provided with upwardly projecting brackets -5 between an d upon which is journaled a rocking frame 6- carrying a hollow vertically movable press head 7. 4

The frame -1 may be of any suitable size or form capable of supporting the various mechanisms exclusive of the boiler at a proper elevation andsufficiently secure .to

resist the strains to which such mechanisms are subjected, the table 2 being preferably made of enameled metal of suitable area and secured in a horizontal plane upon the frame 'some distance beneath the pressing elements and serve as a temporary sup- A port for the garments while being prepared for cleaning, sponging or pressing and also I .to protect such garments from trailing contact with underlying mechanisms which may Waste pipe or receptacle (-not shown).

- plate be more or less soiled by dust or lubricants.

The bracket "3 is preferably U-shaped having its lower arm secured to the main supporting frame and its upper arm disposed horizontally for receiving and supporting the buck -4 which may be rigidly secured thereto so as to lie in a horizontal plane substantially parallel with but some distance above the table top 2, thereby .allowing garments of various forms to be "drawn over either end thereof, the upright. portion of the bracket being preferably hollow for receiving and concealinga steam supply pipe 8 and a drainage pipe -9- leading respectively from the interior of the buck to a steam generator A and to a The buck 51- preferably consists of a hollow cast metal body elongated laterally r or from side to side of the machine and tapered towardone end (preferably toward the. right hand end, Fig. 1) and centrally supported upon the upper face of the bracket 3 so as to cover the open upper end of the hollow hub of the bracket to afford direct connection of the supply and drainage pipes 8 and .9'- with theunderside thereof.

The upper side of with a substantially flat cast metal presser -10 of approximately the saine the buck is provided form and area as. the main body and having its marginal edges secured thereto by suitable fastening means as screws 11 to cover the top of the steam chamber as12 This press plate 10 is provided on its underside with a series of lengthwise V-shape ribs 13- and intervening grooves or channels 14:- alternating therewith, said plate being also provided with a series of rows of apertures l5leading from'the 7 base of the grooves or channels 14.. through the upper face of the plate to allow the steam to pass therethrough and thence through a superposed pad or cover 16 which is drawn tightly across the upper face of the buck and secured across the lower face thereof by suitable lacing 17' similar to that shown in Fig. 2rfor the press cloth of the superposed head.

The steam pipe 8 is connected to a cross pipe or header 18- within thechamber 12, said cross pipe being provided with opposite longitudinally extending branch pipes19 running along the longitudinal edges of and within the buck and having their adjacent faces provided with relatively small orifices or apertures 20- for directing the escaping jets of steam toward and against each other within said chamber and thereby effectively neutralizing the force of the steam and evenly distributing it under even pressurethroughout ,the area of the perforated press plate 10 through which it emerges. Thatjs by opposing the jets of steam emerging from 106 the distributing pipes 19-- so that they impinge one against the other, tends to reduce the pressure and to distribute the steam in a dense cloud throughout the whole interior area of the chamber and inasmuch-1 as the steam is admitted only for an instant, it is evident that it will pass through the foraminous plate and pad to the surface of the garment or fabric only under its own buoyancy for the reason that the steam 119 would be shut off before the steamchamber in the buck was completely filled under the normal pressure of the entering steam. I have taken advantage of this condition to further reduce the moisture content of the steam by providing the V-shaped ribs and channels in the underside of the press plate for-the purpose not only'of increasing the surface area against which the steam impinges upon its entrance into the steam 1.20 chamber and thereby aiding in the condensatio'n of the highly saturated steamnbut also preventing the direct passage of this highly saturated "steam directly through. the apertures leading from the'base of the grooves through the surface of the pressing plate. These two features, namely: the opposing of the opposite jets of steam to each other to neutralize the normal steam pressure upon its entrance into the steam chamber of the buck, and also the provision of the ribs re ferred to, constitute importantfeatures of my invention in that it materially reduces garment and thus avoids the moisture content of the steam which passes through the perforations in the pressing plate to the under surface of the excessive saturation of the garment and permits it to be dried quickly by the steam-heated buck and press head, it being understood that-the water of condensation gravitates instantly to the bottom of the buck and is immediately leIiSmthereWith', the axis of movement of the press head being nearly coincident with the plane of the upper surface of the buck to cause the head to lift bodily some distance away from the upper surface of said buck when drawn upwardly to its inoperative position, thereby allowing the garments or cloth to. berspread out by hand upon said buck where it may be inspected throughout itsarea and carefully prepared for the press- .ing operation with the assurance that the buttons, pocket flaps, lapels and the like-will,

be properly arranged. The distance between the axis and longitudinal center of the head is substantially the same as the distance between the same axis and longitudinal center of the buck.

The press head also consists of a hollow cast-metal body of substantially the same form and size in top plan as that of the buck andjits upper side is secured to the front side of the rocking frame 6, so as to cause its presser face to lie in substantially the same plane as that of the upper fag; of

the buck when-in its pressing position as shown more clearly Figs. 3 and 4, thereby bringing the longitudinal center of the press head in coincidence with that of the buck.

' The interior chamber, as '21 of the press head is adapted to receive steam from the same source of s'upply as the buck -4 and is approximately coincident with the area thereof, but the;low er side, constituting the press plate, is imperforate to prevent the passage of" steam therethrough, the lower surface of the press plate being covered by a press cloth 22' drawn tightly thereacross and having its marginal edges secured across the top of the 7 head by a suitable lacing 23 shown more clearly in Fig. 2. The steam chamber is also provided with a steam inlet pipe 24 anda drainage pipe 25', both of-which have turning connection with suitable distributing heads -26' and 2'7 on the outer ends of the opposite bearings 5 coaxial with the axis of movement of the press head 7.- to, which the pipes '24 and 25. are rigidly connected, thus permitting the movement of the press head without straining the joints. The distributing head 26- is connected by a branch pipe 28 to a main supply pipe 29, said branch and main supply pipes being provided respectively with normally open valves 30 and ling the flow of steam to the press head although the main purpose is to keep these valves open for maintaining live steam in thesteam chamber -21- for heating the pressing head. The distributing head 27 for the drainage pipe is. also connected by a branch'pipe --32 to a main drainage pipe 33- which also receives the drainage from the pipe 9 of the buck .4.

:The main steam supply pipe'fromthe boiler preferably extends downwardly at the rear of and. lengthwise under the table, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1, and is provided with the branch pipe 8- leading to the interior of the buck and with an additional branch supply pipe 34 leading toithe interior of a shoulder buck 35 which also consis ts of a hollow cast-metal body mounted upon a hollow standard or bracket 36' on the table 2 said hollow standard serving to receive and conceal a portionof the branch supply pipe 34' extending therethrough and also a branch drainage plpe 37'- communicating with the main'drainage pipe 33-.

The'branch supply pipe 8-leading to the interior of the buck 4 is provided with a normally closed valve 38 near its connection with the main supply pipe -'29 and adapted to be opened by means of a pedal lever -39 and link 4.0- connecting said pedal on the/stem of the valve, said pedal lever being fulcrumed at 42 to the lower,end of one of the front legs of the frame '1 so that when the front end of the pedal lever 39 is depressed it will open the valve -'38 against spring 43. pipe 34 for the shoulder buck,35 is provided with anormally closed valve .45 havingvits stem provided with a'crank arm "46 which a separate pedal lever 48 on the other front leg of the frame so-that' by depressing ---31'% for control-.

at oneend of the buck -4,'

lever with a crank arm 41- In like manner, the supply is connected by a link 47 to I the action of a retracting the front end of the lever 48-, the valve -l5-- will-be opened against the action'of a H 4r9- to admit steam to retracting spring This buck is employed to give form to the shoulders and collars of I form of the shoulders and collars of such garments, but is perforated and covered with apad 50 in a manner similar to that d scribed for the main buck 4. The inner side of the top of the shoulder buck is also 'provided with alternating V-shape ribs 51 and intervening V-shape grooves v-52 for the same purpose as the ribs ,13 and grooves 14 in the main buck 4 The steam supply pipe 34 extends into the steam chamber of the buck 35 and is connected to a header pipe 53 havingopposed branch pipes 54 provided in their adjacent faces with perforations ,55 for the same purposeas the branch pipes 19 and perforations 20- in the main I buck.

rocking camshaft 56.

- end ofthe buck to swing vertically to and,

from the plane of the upper surface thereof and for this purpose' is provided with oppo site longitudinally extending arms pivoted at 44' to opposite sides of the adjacent large end of the buck so as to swing verti cally to bring the upper face of the plate in substantially the same plane as that of the buck 4, as shown more clearly in Figs.

1, 2 and 4, where it is held by a removable locking pin 4 f loosely inserted in an aperture in the adjacent side of the buck or it may be held in this position by any other movable detent not necessary to herein illustrate or describe.

By removing the pin4-, the entire gripping device may be rocked downwardly beneath the upper surface of the buck.

The camshaft 56 is journaled at one end in a suitable bearing 56 on the rear I side of the platq 4A= and is extended 'radia'lly in one dlrection toward the plate -44, the lower edgeibeing substantially straight and parallel with the upper surface of said plate to cooperate therewith for gripping and holding a portion of the garment. i I

The supporting frame 6 for the press head -7'may be operated to force the press head downwardly by any suitable means consisting in this instance of a' for-, wardly and rearwardly extending 'pedaP lever -57 having its rear end fulcrumed at 58*- upon the rear portion of the tion;

frame 1 and its front end movable vertically in a slot '59. in the front portion its fulcrum and ispivotally connected to an up-standing link 61 at the rear of the machine, said link being connected to the lever by a spring. 62 acting to draw the upper end of the link forwardly into interlocking engagement with a stud or pin -63 on the rear end of the rocking frame 6 as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. The upper end of the link -61 extends some distance above the normal position of the stud or pin v63 when the press headiis rocked upwardly, thereby allowing. the pin to rest against the front edge of the link,'the press head being adapted to be drawn forwardly and downwardly to approximately its pressing position by means of a handle -66 thereon until the stud or pin 63 is brought into interlocking engagement with a recess -63 in the upper front edge of the link, whereupon the further movement of the press head to its pressing position is efi'ectedby the downward pressure of the foot upon the front end of the lever 57.

The handle 66 is slidable forwardly and rearwardly in suitable ways 67 on the top 'of the press head -7'and is connected by a rearwardly extending link' I 68- to the upper end of a tripping pawl -69 which is pivoted at 70 to the rear end of the rocking frame 6 just in front of the up'perend of the link 61 I with which it is adapted to engage so that by drawing the handle forwardly against the action of,its retracting springs 71,

the lower end 'of the tripping pawl 69 will engage and trip the link 61, from looking engagement with the stud 63,

thereby allowing the spring -.60 to return the In addition to the bucks 4- and 35--, the machine is equipped with an additional buck 80 somewhat narrower than the main buck but tapered longitudinally toward one end and having its outer end press head to its normal 'up-pos i thereon,' the upper surface of said buck. II I '-80- being provided with a pad 82 similar 'to the pads -'11 and -22 for protecting the garment against soiling.

In addition to the mechanisms previously described,'the machine is provided with a suitable vacuum cleaning device 90- mounted upon the frame 1 as shown'in Fig. 1 and adapted to be operated by. a small steam engine (not shown) connected-to the main supply pipe -29-, said vacuum cleaner having a flexible suction hose -91. terminating in a suction nozzle -92- which may be moved by the operator across the entire surface area of either of the bucks for removing the dust and other foreign matter, from the clothes which may be supported thereon.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing and, although I have described minutely the various parts of the machine, it is evidentthat these parts may,

be substituted by equivalents without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim is: 1. Ina clothes pressing machine, a hollow elongated buck having a horizontally disposed top provided in its underside with continuous lengthwise channels from end to end thereof, and lengthwise rows of perforations leading from thebases of said channels through the upper face of the top throughout the lengths of said channels.

2. In a clothes pressing machine, a hollow elongated buck.having a horizontally disposed top provided inv its under side with continuous lengthwise channels from end to end thereof, and lengthwise rows of perfoother, the lower e rations leading from the bases of said channels through the upper face of the top throughout the lengths of said channels, and means for direct'mgljets of steam in opposed directions across t e under side of the top and transversely of the channels.

3. In a clothes pressing machine, two elongated pressin elements, one above the ement having a horizontally disposed top and an underlying steam said top having lengthwise parallel rows of perforations therethrough from end to end site sides of and within said chamber and said top having lengthwise parallel rows of perforations therethrough from end to end of the chamber and continuous lengthwise channels in its under side following therows of perforations and communicating therewith. v I

4. In a clothes pressing machine, two elongated pressing elements, one above the other, the lower element having ahorizontally disposed top and an underlying steam chamber substantially coextensive therewith,

of the chamber and continuous lengthwise channels in its under side following the rows of perforations and communicating therewith, and steam pipes running along oppoperforated through their inner sides for projecting jets of steam across the underside of the toptransversely of said channels'and rows of perforations. L

5. In a clothes pressing machine, two elongated pressing elements, one above the other, the lower element having a horizontally disposed top and an underlying steam chamber substantially coextensive therewith, said top having lengthwise parallel rows of perforations therethrough from end to end of the chamber andcontinuous lengthwise channels in its under side following the rows of perforations and communicating therewith, the inner. faces of the portions of the top between the channels being V-shaped in. cross section todeflect the steam to adj acent rows of perforations.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my handthis 28th day of March 1913.

. GEORGE W. SANBORN.

Witnesses? H. E. CHAsE,

, EVA E. GREENLEAF. 

